Tag Archives: obesity

Obesity is a growing problem in America, especially among its youth. Lack of exercise in children, often supplanted by time in front of television and computer screens, greatly increases the chance of a child being obese, a new study shows. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) had previously made a list of suggestions to pediatricians,… Continue reading →

New research, which includes a meta-analysis of past research, stresses a link between fructose consumption and increased appetite. The resulting higher food intake that comes from consuming fructose, along with the recent rise in fructose-loaded products, gives reason to believe that fructose is at least partially responsible for rising obesity and type 2 diabetes rates,… Continue reading →

Saccharin, a widely used sugar substitute intended to decrease caloric intake, may indirectly produce the opposite results. Research has found that the consumption of saccharin (perhaps best recognized by the popular consumer label “Sweet’N Low”) may lead to decreased appetite control, resulting in a higher caloric intake and weight gain. In many animals, it is… Continue reading →

Can the traditional Asian spice turmeric help prevent diabetes? By reducing inflammation associated with the onset of obesity and type 2 diabetes, the answer appears to be yes. Turmeric is a member of the ginger family, and is often found in Indian and Asian cooking, including many curries. In Asia, it has long been known… Continue reading →

Obesity is strongly connected to insulin resistance and the eventual development of type 2 diabetes, but taking aspirin might help limit this progression. A new study has found that for “healthy” obese people, “aspirin-like compounds” can increase the production of insulin, reducing the risk of developing insulin resistance. Aspirin and aspirin-like compounds, known as silicylates,… Continue reading →

The vast majority of obese type 2 diabetics have some form of sleep apnea, but are rarely diagnosed, says a recent study. Past research has linked sleep apnea to cardiovascular disease (CVD), so this study perhaps further explains the well-established links between obesity, diabetes and CVD. Sleep apnea, which is characterized by irregular and paused… Continue reading →

Middle aged individuals who are overweight appear to be at higher risk for developing dementia later in life. A recent study has shown that being overweight (specifically in the abdominal region) in one’s forties makes them almost three times more likely to develop dementia by age 70 than healthy middle aged individuals. 6,583 individuals, all… Continue reading →

A distinctive neural circuitry that controls appetite in some obese individuals may be an innate genetic trait, and may be at least partially responsible for their obesity. A recent study at the University of Southern California, conducted on mice, has shown that the brains of DIO (diet induced obesity) mice often are wired differently than… Continue reading →

A type of steroid called glucocorticoid has been shown to cause diabetes and hypertension (persistent high blood pressure). People who suffer from obesity are also known to produce significantly higher levels of glucocorticoids naturally than people of average weight. Glucocorticoids are often prescribed to patients with asthma, skin disorders, malignancies, chronic pain, and other afflictions,… Continue reading →

Low aerobic fitness levels in young adults make them more than twice as likely to develop diabetes later in life, concludes a recent study. Young women and young African American men demonstrated the lowest fitness levels, portending serious problems in the future for these groups. Aerobic (meaning “with oxygen”) exercises are typically of moderate intensity… Continue reading →

The high BCAA protein levels found in obese individuals, combined with high fat diets, could significantly increase the incidence of pre-diabetic insulin resistance. Because obesity and diabetes are so closely linked, this finding could go a long way in explaining the cause and effect of the obesity-diabetes connection, as well as lay the foundations for… Continue reading →

Obesity, itself thought to be a major cause of insulin resistance, in fact appears to result from distinct insulin processing as well. A recent study has concluded that differences in insulin processing within cells are responsible for variations in how fat is stored within these cells, potentially leading to obesity. This study conflicts with past… Continue reading →

Under the watchful eye of Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson, I joined several thousand colleagues in Washington, DC last month for our annual meeting of the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE). Our theme: “Monumental opportunities…Diabetes Educators in Action.” Here are some highlights: “Inside the Beltway, outside the Beltway” is said to be a popular… Continue reading →

How can one superstar athlete stop diabetes before it happens? Start by thinking small. That was the approach taken by Mark Ellis, the second baseman of the Oakland Athletics, when he partnered with the Washington Hospital Diabetes Program in Fremont, California to host a diabetes prevention clinic for more than 50 children at the Fremont/Newark… Continue reading →